The 2027 season will soon begin, unofficially, in Spain. All World Tour teams will gather to begin serious preparations into the upcoming season and amongst them are Netcompany INEOS, who have signed nine new riders into their 2027 block - so far. One of them is Harold Tejada, a rider with immense potential to lead the British team.
Tejada is fruit of Colombia's extensive climber ranks, having turned professional in 2017 in the Colombian continental scene. He spent two years with EPM and later joined Medellín, showcasing some talent as a climber and stage hunter. In 2019, his last year before joining the World Tour, he joined forces with Mauri Vansevenant to escape the clutches of the GC favourites, and took a stage win at the Tour de l'Avenir.
Tejada bought a one-way ticket to the World Tour, signed by XDS Astana. At the time, he would be taken under the wind of the now-departed Miguel Ángel López - who was, that year, the winner of the Tour de France's queen stage; but would also join fellow countrymen Rodrigo Contreras and Hernando Bohórquez.
Tejada raced for Astana from 2020 to 2025, and in that space of time, became a leader in the team. But unlike many of modern cycling's big talents, his progression was slow and sustained. Arguably, his current season - at age 29 - was his best. But the potential was always there, as he supported López at the 2020 Tour de France, only months after jumping into cycling's top division.
In 2021 he added more experience into his skillset, racing his first Giro d'Italia; whilst in 2022 he raced and finished both Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España. A rider capable of handling pressure and high amounts of racing, Astana had a long-term plan to develop Tejada into one of their potential new leaders.
Harold Tejada racing for XDS Astana Team
Tejada gains experience as a leader
In 2023 Tejada would enter his fourth season as a professional at Astana, and was ready for more responsibility. That is what the team trained him to, and he took this to finish Top10 at the Tour de Suisse and later on the Tour of Turkey, where he finished third in the overall classification.
A versatile rider, the Colombian maintained a mixed position in the team throughout 2024, aiming for GC in week-long races; whilst aiming for stage wins in the Grand Tours. He took his first pro win at the Tour Colombia, where he also led the race and finished within the Top10.
He raced the Tour de France, finishing fifth on stage two; and then eighth in the final mountainous time trial in Nice - proving his ability to race three weeks, and his talent against the clock. He backed that up with a Vuelta a España straight away, chasing breakaways all race long.
Harold Tejada becomes one of Astana's headliners
In 2025 Astana began its pursuit of UCI points, looking to save itself from relegation out of the World Tour. They succeeded, providing vast calendars for its leaders, and races where they would score major points. But Tejada became a proven leader for the World Tour events, finishing Top10 at both UAE Tour and Paris-Nice to start the season. At the Criterium du Dauphiné, he came very close to taking a first World Tour victory, which would change his career.
The Colombian once again rode both Tour and Vuelta aiming for a stage win, not being able to do so. He did finish 12th at the Vuelta a España, showcasing the ability to aim for a Grand Tour GC; before finishing 14th at the brutal Rwanda World Championships.
In 2026 Tejada took his ability and also underdog status to thrive in the spring. He finished 10th at Paris-Nice, but that did not reflect on the excellent race he put in, winning stage 6 into Apt with a timely late attaack; whilst finishing third on both stages 5 and 8 - where the GC was heavily battled. Prior to that, Tejada's consistency aided him in finishing fourth at the UAE Tour.
Tejada's pursuit for a Tour de France stage win almost came to an emotional climax on stage 13 into Belfort. He raced into the Vosges as a breakaway option, got into the right breakaway, and was part of the winning attack. He and Mauro Schmid got the best of the competition, but he was beaten by the Swiss rider.
As was the case the two previous years, Tejada would then race the Vuelta a España, aiming for the overall classification. The Colombian was 10th in the GC, sealing his first major Grand Tour result, off the back of a busy Tour de France, confirming his consistency and development as he nears 30 years of age.
What can Tejada achieve at INEOS?
INEOS saw in Tejada a talent, a rider who is experienced in chasing stage wins, but is simultaneously a leader if required. He is one of four Spanish-speaking signings by the British team this winter, joining Markel Beloki, Javier Romo and Junior World Champion Benjamin Noval Jr. - following a common trend.
The team has signed Oscar Onley and Kevin Vauquelin to be Grand Tour winners over the past winter, whilst the likes of Thymen Arensman, Egan Bernal and Carlos Rodríguez remain options. Tejada becomes one more option in the team's deck, and the one experienced Grand Tour specialist out of the nine riders coming in.
But as has been seen at Astana, he is a rider capable of combining leadership, stage hunting and domestique roles when necessary. Such versatility can turn him into a very important card at the British team; although high-level victories are what the team needs, specially after the departure of Filippo Ganna.
Tejada ultimately joins a team where he might not have as much pressure as in Astana, and might develop within a new environment and most likely with new training and nutrition methods. A rider who hasn't followed the modern trend of peaking in the early 20's, it is not yet clear when the Pitalito-native will reach his very best level, and what Netcompany INEOS might end up benefiting from.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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